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The role of board of directors in the internationalisation process of small and medium sized family businesses

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  • Andrea Calabro
  • Donata Mussolino
  • Morten Huse

Abstract

Internationalisation is one of the biggest challenges for family businesses. Although prosperous locally, many of these firms often face several difficulties in entering foreign markets. To date, there are contrasting results with respect to the internationalisation behaviour of family businesses and the role of boards of directors in this process. Adopting the resource-based view of the firm, the paper focuses on the determinants of the internationalisation pathways taken by family businesses. Basing on a sample of 146 small and medium sized Norwegian family businesses, we find that the board is an important strategic resource contributing to their international expansion. The results highlight the existence of various relationships between board member characteristics, board tasks performance and the export intensity. In particular, we find that family businesses with higher levels of non-family board members are more likely to be international. Moreover, we find that boards' involvement in advisory tasks contributes positively to the export intensity. The implications for theory and practice and future research directions are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Calabro & Donata Mussolino & Morten Huse, 2009. "The role of board of directors in the internationalisation process of small and medium sized family businesses," International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 3(4), pages 393-411.
    • Handle: RePEc:ids:ijgsbu:v:3:y:2009:i:4:p:393-411
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Cirillo, Alessandro & Maggi, Barbara & Sciascia, Salvatore & Lazzarotti, Valentina & Visconti, Federico, 2022. "Exploring family millennials’ involvement in family business internationalization: Who should be their leader?," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(3).
    2. Hans Lööf & Ingrid Viklund‐Ros, 2020. "Board of directors and export spillovers: What is the impact on extensive margins of trade?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(5), pages 1188-1215, May.
    3. Dou, Junsheng & Jacoby, Gady & Li, Jialong & Su, Youyi & Wu, Zhenyu, 2019. "Family involvement and family firm internationalization: The moderating effects of board experience and geographical distance," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 250-261.
    4. Aleksandra Wąsowska, 2017. "The Internationalisation of Family Firms: the Role of the Ownership Structure and the Composition of Top Management Team," Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship at the Cracow University of Economics., vol. 5(1), pages 169-185.
    5. Jean-Luc Arregle & Francesco Chirico & Liena Kano & Sumit K. Kundu & Antonio Majocchi & William S. Schulze, 2021. "Family firm internationalization: Past research and an agenda for the future," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(6), pages 1159-1198, August.
    6. Calabrò, Andrea & Campopiano, Giovanna & Basco, Rodrigo & Pukall, Thilo, 2017. "Governance structure and internationalization of family-controlled firms: The mediating role of international entrepreneurial orientation," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 238-248.
    7. Bauweraerts, Jonathan & Arzubiaga, Unai & Diaz-Moriana, Vanessa, 2022. "Unveiling the global focus-performance relationship in family firms: The role of the board of directors," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(4).
    8. Andrea Calabrò & Donata Mussolino, 2013. "How do boards of directors contribute to family SME export intensity? The role of formal and informal governance mechanisms," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 17(2), pages 363-403, May.
    9. Lohe, Fynn-Willem & Calabrò, Andrea, 2017. "Please do not disturb! Differentiating board tasks in family and non-family firms during financial distress," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 36-49.
    10. Bauweraerts, Jonathan & Colot, Olivier, 2017. "Exploring nonlinear effects of family involvement in the board on entrepreneurial orientation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 185-192.
    11. Laura Sánchez Pulido & Jordi Moreno Gené & José Luis Gallizo Larraz, 2022. "Internationalization of family firms: the effect of CEO attributes," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 26(4), pages 1123-1154, December.
    12. Kraus, Sascha & Mensching, Helge & Calabrò, Andrea & Cheng, Cheng-Feng & Filser, Matthias, 2016. "Family firm internationalization: A configurational approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 5473-5478.
    13. Wajdi Ben Rejeb, 2015. "Impact des rôles et des caractéristiques du conseil d'administration sur le degré d'internationalisation des sociétés tunisiennes cotées," Post-Print hal-01226576, HAL.
    14. Metsola, Jaakko & Leppäaho, Tanja & Paavilainen-Mäntymäki, Eriikka & Plakoyiannaki, Emmanuella, 2020. "Process in family business internationalisation: The state of the art and ways forward," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(2).
    15. Cornelius Hafner, 2021. "Diversification in family firms: a systematic review of product and international diversification strategies," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 529-572, April.
    16. González, Carlos & González-Galindo, Ana, 2022. "The institutional context as a source of heterogeneity in family firm internationalization strategies: A comparison between U.S. and emerging market family firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(4).
    17. Bauweraerts, Jonathan & Sciascia, Salvatore & Naldi, Lucia & Mazzola, Pietro, 2019. "Family CEO and board service: Turning the tide for export scope in family SMEs," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 1-1.
    18. Mariotti, Sergio & Marzano, Riccardo & Piscitello, Lucia, 2021. "The role of family firms’ generational heterogeneity in the entry mode choice in foreign markets," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 800-812.
    19. Calabrò, Andrea & Torchia, Mariateresa & Pukall, Thilo & Mussolino, Donata, 2013. "The influence of ownership structure and board strategic involvement on international sales: The moderating effect of family involvement," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 509-523.

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